OremusSeptember 2016 | Edition Number 217 | FREE

Westminster Cathedral Magazine

There was silence in heaven while the dragonfought against the archangel Michael. Then Iheard many voices crying out: Salvation,honour, and power belong to our God!

OremusCathedral Clergy House42 Francis StreetLondon SW1P 1QW

T 020 7798 9055F 020 7798 9090E oremus@rcdow.org.ukW www.westminstercathedral.org.uk

Oremus, the magazine of WestminsterCathedral, reflects the life of the Cathedral andthe lives of those who make it a place of faith incentral London. If you think that you would liketo contribute an article or an item of news,please contact one of the editorial team.

PatronThe Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster

ChairmanCanon Christopher Tuckwell

EditorFr John Scott

OOrreemmuuss Team

Tony Banks – DistributionZoe Goodway – MarketingSharon Jennings – Deputy EditorManel Silva – SubscriptionsBerenice Roetheli – Proofreading

Cathedral HistorianPatrick Rogers

Design and Art DirectionJulian Game

Registered Charity Number 233699ISSN 1366-7203

Opinions expressed by contributors do notnecessarily represent the views of the Editor orthe Oremus Team. Neither are they the officialviews of Westminster Cathedral. The Editorreserves the right to edit all contributions.Publication of advertisements does not implyany form of recommendation or endorsement.Unless otherwise stated, photographs arepublished under a creative commons or similarlicence. Every effort is made to credit allimages. No part of this publication may bereproduced without permission.

InsideOremus

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Cathedral Life: Past & Present

Cathedral History: Cathedral Mosaicists by Patrick Rogers 14 & 15

Monthly Album: Friends Summer Party;Graduations; Fr Jacques Hamel and more... 16, 17

A Photographic Record: Funeral Mass ofArchbishop Myers – September 1956 25

Features

An Editor Says Goodbye by Dylan Parry 4

Patron Saints of Europe: Part I St Benedict of Nursia by Sharon Jennings 6

On the Trail of John F Bentley: Part IIby Anne Marie Micallef 9

Christian Love is Unrequitedby Fr Christopher Clohessy 10

A Truth of Faith: Archangelsby Edward Kendall 11 & 12

The Leaning Virgin of Albertby Fr Nicholas Schofield 13

Visiting Choirs: Excelsisby Christine Asbridge 18

What I Really Think of the Education I Hadby Fr Keith Sawyer 19

Two Gifts for my 80thby Colin Mawby 22

CAFOD: Harvest Fast Day 23

The Cathedral Choristers Sing in Ravennaby Peter Stevens 24

Reception into Full Communion by Edward Kendall 26

Regulars

From the Chairman 4

The Friends of Westminster Cathedral 20

Crossword 21

Joanna Bogle: Blessed Sacrament Procession 27

Diary and Registers 28 & 29

Book Reviews: Good Things of Good Menand The Cardinal’s Kitchen 30 - 31Bas-relief of the archangel Michael on

the front of the altar of the SacredHeart, Westminster Cathedral. Photo © Oremus

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OremusSeptember 2016

From the Chairman

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Editors

Having been the verysuccessful Editor of Oremus,Dylan Parry has now respondedto God’s call to the religious lifeand has entered the communityof the Norbertine Canons inChelmsford; and again we wishhim every blessing in his newlife. Fr John Scott will now bethe Editor of Oremus, havinghad wide experience in the fieldof communications and churchpublishing. I am sure that weshall detect a certain change in style, for no two editors arealike and we look forward to seeing the fruits of his labour.

Whilst welcoming these new members of staff andbidding farewell to those they replace, I would also like tothank our three supply priests, Fr Kaspar Chatla, Fr Christopher Clohessy and Fr Jude Oniah, who have allgraced the Cathedral with their priestly presence andenriched us by the different styles and cultures from whichthey come. I very much hope that they will seek to returnagain next summer.

September is traditionally the month of moves in theCatholic church and this September is no exception to therule. As you will all know Fr Alexander Master has left thestaff of the Cathedral to be the Private Secretary to theCardinal and we continue to wish him every happinessand success in that new post. During his time here hecombined the two offices of Sub-Administrator andPrecentor, both of which he fulfilled with exemplary zealand skill, but we are now reverting to the earlier practiceof dividing these two jobs. Again, as you will all know, Fr Martin Plunkett has taken on the role of Sub-Administrator and he brings to this a wide range ofexperience as a teacher, a catechist, a guitarist and fromrecent service in a parish. Fr Andrew Gallagher, who wasonce on the staff as the Intern, will be joining us asPrecentor after several years’ pastoral experience inparishes.

Fr John Ablewhite left us in mid-August for retirementto Ely and we wish him every happiness in his new life.He will be replaced as Registrar by Fr John Scott who, aftermany years in the ministry of the Church of England, wasordained this summer as a Catholic priest.

From the Chairman

Canon Christopher Tuckwell

to 1895, and, under one title or another, has an illustrioushistory. (Four things connected to the Cathedral predate thebuilding itself: its Archbishop, its Chapter of Canons, itsChoir and its magazine.) I have only cared for, not verywell, I might add, the magazine of Westminster Cathedralfor a few years. But it will continue to grow and flourish –of that I am certain. God always provides.

I feel immensely privileged to have been granted thehonour of editing Oremus, especially considering the greatmen and women who have preceded me and who willdoubtless follow me. I also owe far more to this publicationthan I could ever repay. I have learnt so much, beengranted access to events most Catholics would give theireye teeth to be a part of, made so many good friends andgained so many skills – I am truly indebted to theCathedral, and to you for your patience as I felt my wayfrom one edition to the next.

There is an old Buddhist story about a monk who wasaccused of fathering a child. Some angry villagersconfronted him about this, but he kept a detached silencein the face of their false testimony. They told him that hewould have to look after the baby – a baby he knew wasn’this. He took the child from the baying mob and lookedafter it and loved it as only a father can. Many years later,the mother, as well as the real father of the child, confessedthat the monk had been falsely accused. The villagersreturned to the monastery and took the child away. Withloving detachment, the monk immediately returned thechild to its parents. It’s a slightly strange story, but in manyways I aspire to be like that monk. Like so many before me,I was handed this rather unexpectedly precious gift, and Inow happily hand it on to others who will care for it duringtheir tenure in the editor’s chair. And I cannot think ofanyone more qualified or suitable to be the editor ofOremus than my successor, Fr John Scott.

Oremus is an unique publication. It is, fundamentally, aparish magazine. But it is also far more than this. We havea diocesan, national and global readership. It covers eventsin the locality here in Victoria, while also reaching out tothe Universal Church. The visitors who enter the doors ofWestminster Cathedral come from every part of the world,and many take this magazine home with them. It’s quite anachievement to be able to connect with parishioners on ourdoorstep and travellers and worshippers from placesunknown. Catholics, other Christians, as well as people ofvarious faiths and none, pick up Oremus, and I hope itspeaks to all of them – revealing something, as Fr Tim Deanused to say, of the ‘joy of what it means to be a Catholic.’ Ipray that this special mission of the magazine will continuefor many, many years to come.

And now it is time for me to go. Like that Buddhistmonk, I am handing back the baby that wasn’t really minein the first place, having loved and cherished it for severalyears. Its rightful parents have come to collect it, and I mustmove on… But I will not entirely sever my ties with themagazine. It, and you, will live on in my heart. In prayer, Ihope to carry you all, as I also beg you to pray for me. As Ienter the religious life, so as to listen more profoundly tothe beating heart of Jesus, I will daily say to the Lord:Oremus, Let us pray. And when I do, you and all connectedwith this beautiful magazine, will, please God, spring to lifebefore the fountains of grace.

It was by chance – or Providence – that I ended up editingthis wonderful publication. For I am not a journalist andhad no experience in editing or writing before I started asa volunteer at Westminster Cathedral in late 2008. In fact,I often feel like a fake, waiting to be found out as a personwith very little experience and skill. I still haven’t got muchof a clue. Were it not for God’s grace, and I need that bythe bucket full, Oremus would not have been producedover the past few years of my editorship. This is comforting.It means that God wants this publication to succeed.

The magazine of Westminster Cathedral has never reallyrelied on me. Rather, I have relied on it. And I havedepended very heavily on its fine team of men and womenwho so generously give of their free time to this importantendeavour, and to whom I will be forever grateful. Oremusalso relies on you, the reader. Without you, this magazinewould not exist. You shape it and you guide, throughletters, comments and prayers, those who work for it.Individual contributors and authors come and go. Editorsare here one day, and a distant memory the next. But ourreadership remains a constant and invigorating force. So,thank you for providing the true backbone of thispublication.

Some see Oremus as my ‘baby.’ It’s not. I have beenmerely its servant, or guardian. The magazine is far greaterthan I am. It is greater than any individual. It stretches back

An Editor says Goodbye You are in my prayersDylan Parry

We say FarewellAs Canon Christopher writes, Dylan has gone to test hisvocation with the Norbertine community in Chelmsford.He will be greatly missed by the Oremus team – not leastfor his skill as a raconteur, which often left us helpless withlaughter and merriment. He goes with our gratitude for thisand his many other gifts.

St Norbert, pray for him.

With my very best wishes,

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Saints of EuropeSaints of Europe

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Patron Saints of EuropeSt Benedict of Nursia

As is well known, during the Second World War the hillof Monte Cassino formed part of the German defensive lineagainst the approach to Rome, and the monastery buildingsfell into ruins through successive and bitter battles, untilthey were finally reduced to heaps of rubble by airbombardment. Although the hill was eventually captured –mainly by Polish troops and Italian refugees – it was onlywith enormous loss of life on both sides. A vast Polish warcemetery on a hillside across from the Abbey bears sombrewitness to this. The dedication of a faithful replica, therefore,represented a return to peace and co-operation between thenations of Europe after the bloodbath of the early twentiethcentury. But 1944 was not the only time in which themonastery fell victim to upheaval and disaster: in its longhistory it has been ruined by the Lombards from withinEurope, the Saracens from without, by earthquake, pillageand repeated attack. In fact its history serves as a sort ofsnapshot of Europe’s own ups and downs – especially whenwe remember that before settling there, Benedict had first toconvert it from a pagan temple dedicated to Apollo.

St Benedict seems to have stayed at Monte Cassino forabout 20 years, until his death in 547; and during that timehe wrote the Rule which became the guide for all monasticestablishments throughout the west. It is radical. It differscompletely from the way in which life was ordered at thetime. For a start, politically: the rule was a written and muchcopied document, ensuring stability and clarity. The abbot –although pre-eminent in his monastery and to be humblyyet cheerfully obeyed – was elected by his fellow monks.He is enjoined to show no favour on the grounds ofanything but spiritual worthiness. He is advised to seekdiscussion and agreement, rather than issuing orders fromon high. Socially, at a time when the ordinary person waslargely ignored, monks are required to feed and clothe thepoor, tend the sick, welcome the stranger ‘as Christ himself’,and take especial care of the young and the old. Monkswere literate, and the education of the children of ordinarypeople became part of their duty of care for the young. Themonks were expected to work, producing food, furniture,clothing, buildings, herbal cures, paintings, manuscripts,and more; and this principle elevated and sanctified manuallabour at a time when it was little regarded.

The work done in monasteries throughout the MiddleAges ensured the preservation of European culture againstsuch attacks as Monte Cassino endured. Even when theGerman army overran it for use as a citadel and arsenal,they made sure that the treasures within – the library,artwork, ancient vessels and relics (especially those of StBenedict himself) – were removed to safety. Most, thoughmysteriously not all of them, were rehoused in the Vatican.

I speak of monks, but of course there were women! Andin a period when they were decidedly second-class citizens,if citizens at all, Benedict again goes against the trend. His

‘Peace to men and women of good will, in Europe andthroughout the world.’

Thus did Pope St John Paul II conclude his apostolicletter issued on the eve of this third millennium. In it, heemphatically defines Europe’s roots as Christian ‘to theextent that Europe’s history would be incomprehensiblewithout reference to the events of the first evangelisation.’He goes on to look to the future. ‘Christians are called torenew their awareness of [the role played by faith], in orderto demonstrate faith’s perennial potential.’ We should allowhis words to inspire us.

He goes on to draw attention to the role of the saints.‘The People of God making their pilgrim way throughhistory have an incomparable support in this treasure ofholiness, sensing as they do their profound union with theChurch in glory, which sings in heaven the praises of theLamb and intercedes for the community still on its earthlypilgrimage.’

It was one of John Paul’s namesakes, Blessed Pope PaulVI, who in 1964 declared St Benedict of Nursia ‘principal,heavenly patron of the whole of Europe.’ The occasion onwhich this declaration was made gives us much insight intosome of the reasons for it: the Pope was presiding over thededication of the rebuilt monastery of Monte Cassino, firstfounded by Benedict in about 529.

sister Scholastica established her own monastery for womennear Monte Cassino. One of the most moving stories toldabout Benedict by Pope St Gregory the Great is that once, attheir annual get-together, she urged her brother to spend thenight in the convent and prolong their conversation. Everanxious to keep his own rule, Benedict declined; and shemerely folded her hands in prayer. Suddenly, a violent stormerupted and he was prevented from leaving. ‘What have youdone?’ he asked. ‘I begged you but you refused,’ she replied;‘so I asked my Lord and he has answered.’ It was the lasttime they were to see each other; within a few months,Scholastica had died. Benedict had her body buried in thetomb kept ready for himself.

This much can make us proud (in a good way!) that ourChristian heritage has informed modern social democracies.It is something we should not be timid about proclaiming.Its inspiration, for Benedict and for us, is ‘conversion of life’– a gradual, daily, hourly transformation of the weak humanbeings we are into the children of God. This of course setsus apart from much of the rest of society. The same was truein the sixth century.

But what of the future? At a time when Europe as wehave come to know it is in turmoil, what has the Christian –inspired by St Benedict – to say? Going back to the Rule, wecan discern reason and moderation as underlying principles.The balance of life as prescribed – orare et laborare, to prayand to work – ensures the prevention of fanaticism andextremism. Modern life craves the immediate, but St

Sharon Jennings

Benedict writes of the gradual, imperceptible changewrought by patient and humble contact with our Lord andSaviour. The self recedes, the Lord gradually takes over asdye permeates cloth, and we are transformed.

In a culture dedicated to the individual, the principles ofSt Benedict’s Rule restate the value of family, of the good ofthe group, of instinctive selflessness. These are not onlyideals, but a practical approach to difficult and uncertaintimes.

Pope St Gregory the Great, to whom is ascribed the sixthcentury Life of St Benedict, recounts a vision the saintreceived near the end of his life: ‘In the dead of night hesuddenly saw a flood of light shining down from above,more brilliant than the sun, and with it every trace ofdarkness cleared away…The whole world was gathered upbefore his eyes in what appeared to be a single ray of light.’We should commit our lives, our country, our continent andour world to his intercession.

Prayer: O God, you have endowed your servant Benedictwith the gifts of prayer and universal charity. His life, likethe good tree planted near living water, has borne fruit incountless men and woman who have embraced his way oflife. Bless your labouring Church, whose valiant defender hewas and whose inspiration he continues to be. We ask thisin Jesus’ name. Amen

(From The People’s Companion to the Breviary by theCarmelites of Indianapolis)

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The Cathedral’s Architect

On the Trail of John Francis Bentley: Part IISant’ Apollinare in Classe

As part of his study tour of Italy before preparing the plansfor the Cathedral, Bentley visited Sant’Apollinare in Classe.Today, Sant’Apollinare is a pleasant fifteen minute bus ridefrom the centre of Ravenna. Bentley was driven there by ahorse-drawn vehicle. His daughter and biographerWinefride de l’Hôpital relates the story of the conversationthat Bentley had with his driver on the journey. Bentleypointed out a church near the road and asked its name. ‘AhSignor’ came the reply ‘that would not interest you … it isquite modern’. It was from the 11th century.

Sant’ Apollinare is thought tohave been started in 532 andwas consecrated in 549. TheBasilica is therefore about thesame age as the Basilica of SanVitale in Ravenna. SaintApollinare was the first bishopof Ravenna and Classe. There isan altar in the middle of the

nave which covers the place of the saint’s martyrdom. Thechurch ends in a many-sided apse, next to two chapels. Thenave contains 24 columns of marble. The side walls arebare, but it is generally agreed that they were originallycovered with mosaics. The mosaic decoration in the apseand on the church’s triumphal arch are the most strikingfeatures of the Church and, as in San Vitale, the visitor is leftwith a sense of awe as they appear so fresh and bright. Themain mosaic is said to contain 50 different types of greentesserae.

The top section of the archdepicts Christ inside amedallion. There is a starry skywith a hand protruding from theclouds. At the sides are thesymbols of Matthew, Mark, Lukeand John, the four evangelists.These symbols are the Eagle forJohn, the Winged Man for

Matthew, the Lion for Mark and the Ox for Luke. At theedges are mosaics of walls, covered in precious gems fromwhich twelve sheep exit, representing the twelve apostles.On the sides of the arch are two palms, thought by some torepresent justice. Under them are the archangels Michaeland Gabriel. At the sides of the medallion of Christ one cansee Elijah and Moses.

The bottom part of the scene is pastoral, with rocks,plants, birds and sheep. There are three lambs, possiblystanding for Peter, James and John who witnessed Jesus’Transfiguration. Beneath them is Saint Apollinare, praying.All together there are 27 sheep. The eye is drawn to them

time and time again and one cannot but think of all thereferences to sheep and lambs in both Old and NewTestaments.

In the spaces between the windows are the four bishopswho founded the main churches in Ravenna. At the sides ofthe apse are two 7th century mosaic panels, one portrayingthe Emperor Constantine IV and the other portrayingAbraham, Abel and Melchisedek around an altar.

Like Bentley, after Ravenna Iand my husband went on toBologna. However, it was alittle warmer for us than it wasfor him as we only had tocontend with wind, not snow.According to his daughter andbiographer the brick-builtchurch of St Stefano and the

unfinished municipal Palace of the 16th Century appear tohave interested him most. St Stefano interested us too. It isknown locally as Sette Chiese (‘Seven Churches’) because inone church are six others.

• The Church of Saint John the Baptist (8th century)

• The Church of the Holy Sepulchre (5th century)

• The Church of the Saints Vitale and Agricola from the 4thcentury but rebuilt in the 12th.

• The Courtyard of Pilate from the 13th century

• The Church of the Holy Trinity from the 13th century

• The Chapel of the Bandage, dedicated to the strip of clothworn around the head of the Virgin Mary as a sign ofmourning.

It is a lesson in the differentstyles of church buildingbetween the 5th and 13thcenturies and is indeed abeautiful church.

After Bologna, Bentley wentto Ferrara, Venice, Torcello,Padua, Turin briefly, Paris and

Dijon. We didn’t do these places this time, but hope to inthe future. On 19 March 1895 he arrived in London andimmediately began planning the Cathedral, with thefoundation stone laid on 29 June 1895.

Symbols of the Evangelists:1. St John, 2. St Luke, 3. St Mark and 4. St MatthewPhotos © Roger Culos

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Anne Marie Micallef

Oremus | 1110 | OremusSeptember 2016September 2016

Feast DaysInter-faith Relations

On Christian Love:Dialogue with other religions

Our Christian dialogue with those of other faith traditions is,amongst other things, firmly rooted and grounded in a gospelpassage in which Jesus has a conversation with a Romancenturion, who came to the Lord about his sick servant. Thatcenturion may well have been neither Christian nor Jew, buta pagan, a worshipper of many gods, a man whose theologyand creed would have been extremely shaky in the eyes ofreligious people; a man who, as far as we know, neveracknowledged that Jesus was God, never got baptised or fullyprofessed the faith. Yet Jesus, having listened to him, said tothose standing by: ‘I have not found so great faith, not even in Israel’

The centurion represents all those people who do not shareour belief, our baptism, our ways of praying, but in whom Godnevertheless makes his home. We must be ready, after theexample of Jesus who marvelled at the centurion’s faith, tolisten to what others have to say; they too have an experienceof God that can be learnt from, they too are, in ways wecannot understand, carriers of Christ. We should be ready, atevery moment, to be instructed by all kinds of people whocross our path, people who may be very different from us,people who may have an experience and understanding ofGod very different from our own, but whose lives nonethelessalready shine brightly.

Hand in hand with the centurion, there is anothercharacter in the gospels who aids us in this: the woman whocrept up and touched the hem of Jesus’ garment. She remindsus of all those people who reach out and touch God ‘frombehind’, people whose faith we think is non-existent; but itdoes exist, just differently from ours. People pray, butdifferently from the way we pray. People reach out in all kindsof different ways to God, because God reaches out in allkinds of ways to people; and in all of these ways Christ ispresent, and it is this Christ we are seeking in our attempts tohave dialogue with others.

These days there are some inherent difficulties, mostparticularly in our attempts at an ongoing dialogue with thefollowers of Islam. There are numbers of non-Muslims who,seeing the enormous violence apparently committed byfollowers of the Islamic faith and in the name of that faith,feel that dialogue is irrelevant. And there are certainly anumber of Muslims, perhaps those who have a more radicalapproach to faith, who discount any value in dialogue withnon-Muslims. Nonetheless, we continue to reach out indialogue.

And this is the heart of the dialogue, and its soul: that welearn to live prayerfully, mercifully, lovingly, with neither fearnor naiveté, before the presence of those who follow otherfaith systems or perhaps no system at all, never asking oranticipating any return. This is a most formidable thing, sinceChristian love is, by its very nature, unrequited.

Here are some basic ground rules underpinning ourattempts at dialogue. The first is that we should never betempted to judge principles by practice: religion is one thingand the behaviour of religious people quite another, the truthsthat are an integral part of any particular faith system are noteffaced or erased by the misbehaviour of the members of thatsystem. As surely as we would be horrified should peoplejudge the whole of the Church by our private misbehaviour orfailings, so too we should be cautious in judging anotherreligion because some of its members – whether few or many– behave wickedly.

The second principle is that we maintain a profound andhealthy respect for the religious belief of others, evenwithout being able to accept a large number of the tenetstaught by that particular system. At the same time, we arenot apologists for other religions. All we should desire to dois what the Church does, following the example of Jesus: tofind whatever is good and holy in other religions, otherhuman lives, and there to recognise the hand of God atwork, in the hope of building the sort of relationship thatcan only happen when ignorance, misinformation andprejudice are dispelled.

Fr Christopher Clohessy is a Lecturer in Shi’a Islam at thePontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies, Rome. Hewas a summer supply priest here at Westminster Cathedral.

Fr Christopher Clohessy

A Truth of FaithThe existence of angels

The Feast of St Gregory the Great falls on 3 September, so I think it is appropriate to mention that one of theCathedral’s parishioners, Sharon Jennings, has justpublished a book on the Cathedral’s side-chapel dedicatedto St Gregory and St Augustine. She makes frequentreference to St Bede the Venerable’s Ecclesiastical Historyof the English People, within which St Gregory is praised asthe man who transformed our still-idolatrous nation into achurch of Christ.

St Bede recounts the famous story of how St Gregory’sapostolic mission to the English was started. The story goesthat St Gregory was walking round Rome's slave-marketwhen he came across some young Anglo-Saxon slaves.When he discovered that they were Angles he made hisfamous remark: ‘Not Angles but angels’, and added: ‘it isright that they should become joint-heirs with the angels inheaven.’ This brings me to angels, who are the main themeof this piece.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church states that the‘existence of the spiritual, non-corporeal beings that SacredScripture usually calls “angels” is a truth of faith.’ In otherwords, as Catholics we are called to believe in them.Indeed, the Niceno-Constantinopolitan or Nicene Creedwhich we recite at Mass refers to the angels when it says:‘Maker...of all things visible and invisible.’ Furthermore, ifwe attend Mass on the Feast of the Archangels, which fallson 29 September, we shall hear the celebrant praying thewords of the collect for that feast: ‘Lord God of hosts, inyour all-powerful wise plan you assign to angels and to menthe services they have to render you. Grant that the angelswho adore you in heaven, may protect us here on earth’.

But what is an angel? The Compendium of theCatechism of the Catholic Church describes them as 'purelyspiritual creatures, incorporeal, invisible, immortal, andpersonal beings endowed with intelligence and will' who‘ceaselessly contemplate God face-to-face’ glorifying himand serving him. But St Augustine of Hippo said that‘”Angel" is the name of their office, not of their nature. Ifyou seek the name of their nature, it is ”spirit”; if you seekthe name of their office, it is ”angel”: from what they are,“spirit,” from what they do, “angel.”‘ Angelos is a Greekword meaning messenger and so angels are messengers ofGod. It is in this role that they most prominently appear inSacred Scripture, for example the Angel Gabriel’sAnnunciation of the Incarnation of Our Lord to the BlessedVirgin Mary. This event is recalled in the Angelus, which isprayed daily by Catholics all over the world. Here in thecathedral we can pray it to the accompaniment of the

Angelus bell, which is rung thrice daily, morning, noon andevening. Through praying the Hail Mary in this and otherdevotions, such as the rosary, Catholics unite their prayer tothe salutation of the Angel Gabriel.

Whilst angels are most commonly portrayed in sacredscripture as messengers for God, we should also rememberthat they have additional intercessory and protective roles.St Basil writes that each believer has ‘an angel as protectorand shepherd leading him to life.’ The Psalmist mentions

This month we celebrate the Feast of St Gregory the Great and the Feast of the Archangels Michael,Gabriel and Raphael.

Edward Kendall

Shepherdess’, devotion revived in the second half of the19th century. A new basilica, with the famous gilded Virginand Child on the tower, was completed and Leo XIII evencalled it the ‘Lourdes of the North’ – though the numbersof pilgrims never even began to compete with thatPyrenean shrine.

On 15 January 1915 a German shell caused the gildedstatue to lean forward, almost at a right angle. ‘It is reallywonderful,’ wrote one British officer, ‘and personally Ithink it is a miracle. The statue is huge (with an immensebase), and of metal; all the girders which used to support itare smashed, and the statue appears to be suspended inmid-air.’

It soon became the focus of much legend: that whoevercaused her to fall would (depending on the version youheard) win or lose the war, or simply ‘when the Virgin fell,the war would end’. Allied troops recaptured the town inAugust 1918. A soldier of the 8th East Surreys wrote:‘Streets, once picturesque and lively with the business ofBritish military life, had become mere paths littered withrubbish, lined with stumps of walls and wrecks ofbuildings, and undermined in every direction with land-mines and charges. The basilica from which the goldenimage of the Virgin and Child had hung for so long wasthere yet, and its vast nave still dominated the town, but ithad become a mere huge forbidding shell of red brick.’

The church was subsequently restored and re-openedamid much jubilation in 1931, thanks to a large grant fromthe French Government and the gifts of many donors. Aspecial relationship existed with the people ofBirmingham, who raised a considerable sum of moneytowards the town’s reconstruction and opened analmshouse for the aged poor. To this day, the street onwhich the basilica is located is called ‘Rue deBirmingham’.

Thus, the ancient image returned to its rightful placeand a copy of the original gilded Virgin once again looksover Albert and the surrounding war-scarred countryside.In the words of a poem by M E Francis,

Mother, this place was peaceful once, and blest,That golden statue on its tower poised highHeld the Child Jesus—not upon its breast,But raised aloft, with little arms outspreadAs once upon the rood's unyielding bed— And all who passed might hear thy voiceless cry,From break of dawn until the day was done:“Look up, my children, look upon my Son.”

Fr Nicholas Schofield is parish priest, Our Lady of Lourdesand St Michael, Uxbridge, and Archivist of the Diocese ofWestminster

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CentenaryFeast Days/Companions

The Leaning Virgin of AlbertA Miracle of the SommeFr Nicholas Schofield

guardian angels: ‘For he will give his angels charge of you toguard you in all your ways. On their hands they will bearyou up, lest you dash your foot against a stone’ (Ps 91:11-12). Further Scriptural evidence for their intercessory role isto be found in St Mark’s Gospel, which tells us that theangels ‘ministered to’ Jesus in the wilderness (Mk 1:13). OurLord himself confirms the existence of angels when hementions them in St Matthew’s Gospel: ‘See that you do notdespise one of these little ones; for I tell you that in heaventheir angels always behold the face of my Father who is inheaven’ (Mt 18:10).

If you have a bible I recommend reading the book ofTobit, where the help given to us through the ministry ofangels is graphically described. The narrative describes howthe archangel Raphael, in human guise, brings Tobias andSarah together in marriage, kills a demon and cures Tobit ofblindness.

The intercessory role of angels is reflected in the liturgy;at the beginning of Mass we make a penitential act,normally reciting the Confiteor, in which we implore ‘all theangels’ to pray for us ‘to the Lord our God.’ In the Confiteorrecited by the priest and server in the Extraordinary Form ofMass a specific reference is made to St Michael theArchangel. An angel is also mentioned in the Supplices ofthe Roman Canon (Eucharistic Prayer I), but some suggestthat this angel who takes the sacrifice to God’s altar inheaven is none other than Our Lord himself. As mentionedbefore, the word ‘angel’ refers to an office and Our Lord,amongst other things, is the messenger of God.

Another role associated with the angels is that ofworship. The Letter to the Hebrews tells us that when God‘brings the firstborn into the world, he says: “Let all God’sangels worship him”’ (Heb 1:6). Eucharistic Prayer IV refersto ‘countless hosts of Angels’ in the presence of God whoserve him 'day and night’ and glorify him ‘without ceasing.’The Church therefore joins its worship with that of theangels in the Sanctus, which is sung or recited at every Massand the song of the angels recorded by St Luke (Lk 2:14)forms the opening words of the Gloria, which is used onSundays, Solemnities and Feasts. Furthermore, the assistanceof angels is invoked in the In Paradisum used in theconcluding prayers of the funeral liturgy of the Latin Rite;and in the ‘Cherubic Hymn’ of the Byzantine Liturgy theChurch celebrates the memory of the archangels Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, and the Guardian Angels.

Finally, in this the year before the centenary of theapparitions of Our Lady at Fatima in Portugal, we can notethat these were preceded in 1916 by three visitations of theGuardian Angel of Portugal to the children who were towitness the apparitions: Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta. Thelast of these angelic apparitions occurred in September –100 years ago this month.

The angel taught the children to pray these words: ‘MyGod, I believe, I adore, I hope, and I love you. I ask pardonfor those who do not believe, do not adore, do not hope,and do not love you.’ This prayer, for ourselves and others isjust as relevant now as a century ago. So, let us pray.

As we commemorate the Somme centenary, many iconicimages will come to mind: troops going over the top, thebarbed wire of No Man’s Land, the trenches and, it mustbe said, the ‘Leaning Virgin’ of Albert, one of the principaltowns of the region.

The gilded statue was on the tower of the impressivebasilica of Notre Dame de Brebières and it quickly enteredthe folklore of the conflict.

The Marian shrine at Albert had been popular amonglocals for centuries. According to tradition, a medievalshepherd noticed a sheep pawing at the ground one day.He sent a dog over, but the ewe remained stationary andso he went over and struck the ground. He heard amysterious voice: ‘Stop shepherd, you hurt me’, anddiscovered that his crook was covered with blood. Theshepherd nervously bent down and uncovered a stonestatue of the Virgin and Child, with a sheep grazing at theirfeet. Our Lady’s head was marked by the shepherd’s blow.

A chapel was built at the spot and the statue was giventhe title ‘Our Lady of Brebières’ – originating from ‘brebis’(sheep) and ‘berger’ (shepherd’). Devotion quickly spread,especially among shepherds. St Colette turned to her at theage of 14, with her typically teenage concerns overdelicate health and lack of height. The Virgin heard herprayers, we are told, and not only did her constitutionimprove, but she miraculously gained several inches. Thesaint went on to reform the Poor Clares.

In 1637 the sanctuary was partially burned by Spanishtroops and eventually in 1727 the image was moved forsafety to the nearby church at Albert. During the FrenchRevolution the image survived after being hidden in acoffin; a lucky escape, for the church was briefly turnedinto a temple to the ‘Goddess of Reason’.

Whether known as ‘Notre Dame de Brebières’, ‘theVirgin of Albert’, ‘Our Lady of the Ewes’ or ‘the Divine

Companions of OremusWe are very grateful for the supportof the followingMrs Mary BarshDr Stuart BlackieAnne Veronica BondJoseph BonnerRichard BremerDaniel CrowleyMs Georgina EnangConnie GibbesTheresa GiwaZoe & Nick GoodwayMrs Henry Hely-HutchinsonAlice M Jones & Jacob F JonesMary Thérèse KellyMr & Mrs John LusbyJames MapleDionne MarchettiMary MaxwellPamela McGrathLinda McHughMr Anthony James McMahonChris Stewart MunroMrs Brigid MurphyKate NealonDr Toyin OdunugaPatrick RogersJohn ShepherdMr Luke SimpsonSonja SoperEileen TerryRobin Michael Tinsley

If you would like to become a Companion of Oremus see page 8

In the early 1900s he and his team of mosaicists (now downto five Englishmen and one Venetian) were on long termcontract to Sir Ernest Debenham, decorating his departmentstores. This led in turn to a commission in 1912 to producemosaics and supervise their installation in the great domedhall of Debenham's new house at 8 Addison Road, HollandPark, creating an interior resembling a Byzantine Church.Rather than saints, however, the walls, spandrels and domeitself were decorated with blue, green and gold mosaicsportraying mythological scenes, stylised plants, animals, thesigns of the zodiac and portraits of the Debenhams and theireight children. While work was underway Meo gave each ofthe children a little bag of coloured tesserae and encouragedthem to make up pictures with them.

By 1913 the work was finished and Meo’s reputation hadbeen further enhanced. As a result he was commissioned inthat year both to install the mosaics in St Andrew's Chapel,which the Fourth Marquess of Bute was funding inWestminster Cathedral, and also to completely refurbishClayton Parish Church, Bradford. The Cathedral work wasdesigned and directed by the Marquess's architect, RobertWeir Schultz, and was again carried out in the Byzantinestyle, all the work in the chapel being given to members ofthe Arts and Crafts Movement. Using Schultz's rough designstranslated into mosaic cartoons by George Jack, Meo and histeam from Debenhams (two of whom had also worked withhim in St Paul's) set to work in situ, with Meo commutingfrom his home at 39 Downshire Hill, a stone's throw fromHampstead Heath.

As at Debenham's house, the mosaic tesserae are said tohave been supplied by Salviati of Venice. However, it is clearfrom the Glass Order Book of James Powell & Sons that in1914-15 the firm supplied Meo at his Hampstead home withcakes of gold, red, blue and black mosaic material valued at£17 and intended for the Cathedral, showing that the materialalso came from Powells. By mid-1914 the mosaic work wasproceeding rapidly with the Marquess taking a keen interestand making occasional visits. As usual with Meo, the tesseraewere fixed directly into the oil-based mastic which was of thesame composition as used both by Richmond in St Paul'sCathedral and before that for the restoration of the DuomoBaptistry mosaics in Florence.

The mosaics illustrate the story of St Andrew, with aportrait of the saint accompanied by trees, flowers, animalsand birds, and of the cities associated with him. Above the

14 | Oremus September 2016 | 15OremusSeptember 2016

Cathedral History

Gaetano Meo was born in1849 in Laurenzana, amedieval mountain villagein the district of Potenza,east of Naples. The Bay ofNaples, dominated byMount Vesuvius, was apopular attraction forEnglish artists and touristsat this time and Gaetanomay well haveencountered them. In anyevent, in 1864, at the ageof 15, he decided to go toEngland and, accompaniedby his brother as far asParis, he set off to walkthere. From there heintended to sail to Americaand make his fortune inthe Klondike. Therefollowed a series ofadventures as Gaetano wasbefriended in turn by

mountain brigands, maternal Italian ladies and others as hetrudged his way northwards first through Italy and thenFrance, earning his keep by playing his harp. At last, after ajourney which lasted from the spring of 1864 to the autumnof 1865, he arrived in Boulogne, and although he had nopassport a friendly ship's captain smuggled him aboard aship bound for England.

In London, speaking very little English, Gaetano soughtout Italian restaurants where he could play his harp withoutbeing moved on by the police for busking. A photographtaken soon after his arrival shows a diminutive figure intraditional costume with a harp as large as himself. It wasthere that he encountered the Pre-Raphaelite artist SimeonSolomon, who used him as a model and introduced him tohis artist friends including Dante Gabriel Rossetti, EdwardBurne-Jones and Henry Holiday. The latter in particular took aliking to him, employed him and played a lasting part in hiscareer. By the 1870s Meo was not only an artist's model andassistant but had become quite an accomplished landscapepainter, with Rossetti, Holiday and William Richmond (laterSir William) buying his paintings. Holiday was chief designerfor the stained-glass makers James Powell & Sons (WhitefriarsGlass) from 1863 until 1891, and from 1875 he employedMeo on his cartoons. Gaetano's use of English, however,remained somewhat idiosyncratic. On one occasion hetranslated the inscription ‘Blessed art thou among women’ on a cartoon of the Annunciation as ‘Thou art happy amongthe ladies’.

By 1880 Meo had become established in England. He hadmarried Agnes Morton from Belfast and they had five childrenbetween 1870 and 1881. The family had moved from Fulhamto Kensington and then to Hampstead, where Henry Holidayalso lived. Meo had become Holiday’s assistant in the art ofstained-glass making, in order to meet the demand created bythe fashion for neo-Gothic churches. At some stage he

Cathedral History

Cathedral Mosaicists – Gaetano Meo Patrick Rogers

Gaetano Meo with his harp

altar appears the Greek cross of his martyrdom with the doveof the Holy Spirit and his prayer in Latin and in English.Opposite is St Andrew himself, with an olive and a locusttree, rosebushes and deer, similar in some respects to Meo’smosaics at Debenham's house. On the wall facing theentrance are mosaics of Bethsaida (his birthplace),Constantinople (where he was bishop) and Patras (the place ofhis martyrdom). Opposite, above the entrance, are StAndrew's in Scotland, Milan and Amalfi, all of whichreceived his relics after the Fourth Crusaders sackedConstantinople and seized his body in 1204. On the vault ofthe chapel is a glittering, fan-like pattern of fish-scales or'golden clouds screening Paradise from earthly view', while inthe arches 33 birds, including a green woodpecker and a jay,can be seen in the foliage.

The chapel was opened in December 1915 though workcontinued the following year when a small mosaic bird(apparently a plover) was removed from the bottom left handcorner of the west wall and a rabbit from the bottom right,presumably to avoid distraction from the main composition.Although there was some criticism of the 'coldness' of themarbles there was nothing but praise for Meo. In 1915 hewrote to Cardinal Bourne asking if he and his men couldrestore the Cathedral's Shrine of the Sacred Heart and St Michael, where the tesserae had become loose, but thecontract went to Powells. By this time Meo was refurbishingClayton Parish Church, Bradford, in the course of which hedesigned and produced mosaics and opus sectile, workwhich occupied him until 1918. He died in 1925, neverhaving made it to the Klondike but having amply fulfilled hisboyhood dream of achieving success in a far-away land.

appears to have returned to Italy to study the mosaics ofRavenna, Venice, Sicily and Rome. In this he was probablysponsored by Holiday who, together with Walter Crane,formed a society in 1881 for the study of the decorative arts,including mosaics, opus sectile and stained-glass work.Holiday was a leading designer of stained glass for English,Scottish and American churches during the 1880s and in1891, dissatisfied with the quality of commercially-producedstained-glass, he established his own workshop inHampstead. By this time he was also starting to work withmosaics and Meo, as his assistant, would presumably havebeen involved.

In 1888 Meo became a naturalised British citizen, hissponsors being Henry Holiday and William Richmond. Incelebration Holiday threw a party for him and composed asong for the event, based on ‘He is an Englishman’ in Gilbertand Sullivan’s ‘HMS Pinafore’. The second verse ran:

'He must drop his 'accidente',

And his 'dolce far niente',

And 'per bacco' - if he can.

Then, renouncing foreign lingo,

He must learn to say 'by Jingo'

Like a true-born Englishman.'

Meo's friendship withWilliam Richmond and hisknowledge of mosaics wereto prove providential. In1891 Richmond was asked toprepare a plan for the mosaicdecoration of the apse, choirand choir domes in St Paul'sCathedral in London. Hisdesigns, combining Gothicimagery with Byzantineprinciples, were acceptedand he was awarded thecommission. So, like Meobefore him, Richmond wentoff to Ravenna, Venice andSicily to study mosaics. Hereturned convinced thatByzantine methods should be

employed, with irregularly shaped tesserae inserted atdifferent angles directly into the fixing bed while leaving widejoints. He chose James Powell & Sons to provide the tesserae,mastic and 19 non-unionised British craftsmen and askedMeo to act as his assistant in directing them. The mosaics ofthe apse and choir were unveiled in 1896 and were followedby work on the ceilings of the two choir aisles which wascompleted in 1904.

The controversial mosaics of St Paul's Cathedralestablished not only Richmond's reputation but that of Meo.

A feature of the west wall mosaic in St Andrew’s Chapel,Westminster Cathedral

Ruth amidst the alien corn. Clayton Parish Church, Bradford

Gaetano Meo as artist’s model(as Bacchus) painted by SimeonSolomon, 1867

16 | | 17

Monthly Album

OremusSeptember 2016Oremus September 2016

Monthly Album

Parish PartyAfter the 6pm Mass on 16 July, there was a parish partyto celebrate the 40th birthdays of Fr Michael Quaicoeand Fr Alexander Master, joined by his twin brotherPiers. It was also an opportunity to thank Fr Alexanderfor his time as a Cathedral Chaplain and wish him wellin his new role. Thanks must go to those whocontributed food and drinks, as well as those whoorganised and helped out on the night.

Friends’ Summer PartyThis photo was taken during the Friends of Westminster Cathedral annual garden partyat Allen Hall Seminary, Chelsea, in 12 July. During the event, guests watched the firstperformance of Sharon Jennings’ new play ‘Will’s Will’.

Lutherans attend MassMembers of the Joint Lutheran Roman Catholic Commissionattended the 10.30am Mass on 17 July, which was celebratedby the Cardinal.

At the end of the same Mass boys leaving the choir to go on totheir new schools were applauded by the congregation.Canon Christopher Tuckwell thanked them for their wonderfulcontribution to cathedral worship.

Book LaunchInterested parties – includingeditors of Oremus (current, pastand future) – gathered for thelaunch of Sharon Jennings’ bookGood Things of Good Men onthe evening of 14 July.

GraduationsThis photograph shows graduates of St Mary’s University, Twickenham,celebrating on the piazza after their graduation ceremony at the Cathedral.

Apostleship ofthe SeaSea Sunday on 10 July gives usan opportunity to recognise thework of the Apostleship of theSea in supporting seafarers acrossthe UK. We were very honouredto have Fr Colum Kelly to preachat some of the day’s Masses, andit was moving and interesting tosee the organisation’s flag andicon of Our Lady Star of the Sea.(pictured)

Dylan FarewellOn Friday 22 July staff who work in ClergyHouse bid a sad farewell to Oremus editorDylan Parry. Canon Christopher Tuckwellthanked him warmly for the hard work he hasput into developing the magazine.

Fr Jacques HamelThe photo (right) records the very moving inter-faithvigil outside the Cathedral on Sunday 31 July,following the brutal murder of Fr Jacques Hamel ashe offered Mass in a suburban Rouen church on 26 July.

The 10.30am Mass on Friday 12 August (photosbelow) was offered for the repose of the soul of Fr Jacques. Canon Christopher Tuckwell was themain celebrant, and the homily was given by Fr Christopher Clohessy, from the Pontifical Institutefor Arabic and Islamic Studies. (See his article onpage 10). Fr Clohessy reminded us that we arepeople of the resurrection, living in hope of lovingtransformation. He urged us to remember that justiceis something best left to our almighty and all-lovingGod. Leaders of the Islamic community in Londonwere warmly welcomed at the Mass.

© Kevin Greenan

Visiting Choirs Education

18 | Oremus September 2016 September 2016 | 19Oremus

For Excelsis chamber choir Musical Director Robert Lewis,participating in the Saturday evening Mass at WestminsterCathedral on 25 June was something of a homecoming. Robwas a chorister from the age of eight under the direction ofDavid Hill and James O’Donnell.

‘Returning to Westminster Cathedral was a true joy,’ Robsaid following the service. ‘This place is close to my heart,and to conduct Excelsis for the evening Mass was a veryspecial privilege indeed.’

Following his years at Westminster Cathedral Rob went onto win a choral scholarship to the Oratory School and NewCollege, Oxford, where he read music. He co-foundedExcelsis, based in Grayshott, Hampshire, in 2007. The choircomprises about 30 singers, presents its own concerts andalso performs with international soloists and professionalorchestras.

‘Singing atWestminster Cathedral isa highlight of this year.The music just soaredthrough the beautifulspace of the cathedral –an incredible experience,’said Excelsis ChairmanBarbie McSean.

Rob’s familiarity withthe cathedral and theorder of service wasappreciated by choirmembers, as he smoothlytransitioned the groupfrom hymns to choralpieces.

‘This was my first timesinging at Westminster

Cathedral, and I was grateful for Rob’s understanding of thelarge space and procedures. I was in awe of the beautifulsurroundings, and he knew just how to focus us, bringing outthe perfect sound for our chamber choir,’ said sopranomember Christine Asbridge.

Included in the repertoire for the Vigil Mass were the Kyrieand Gloria from Tomás Luis de Victoria’s moving O QuamGloriosum, and Giovanni Gabrieli’s Jubilate Deo, whichoffers a stunning polyphony well-suited to a chamber choir.Edvard Grieg’s sublime Ave Maris Stella floated through thecathedral during communion.

Excelsis is also experienced with contemporary works. InSpring 2013 the choir performed Sir Karl Jenkins’ Requiemand The Armed Man with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra,conducted by the composer, before a capacity audience atthe Royal Albert Hall.

Visiting Choirs: Excelsis Former chorister returns as conductorChristine Asbridge

Other performances have included the world premiere ofThe Healer by Sir Karl Jenkins, a work commissioned tocelebrate Grayshott Concerts’ 10th Anniversary in October2014. The Healer was recorded by Classic FM and broadcastto a national audience, and has been released by WarnerClassics as part of Voices, an 8-CD box set of Sir Karl’s best-selling works.

Following the success of The Healer project, the choir wasinvited by Sir Karl to sing in a performance of The ArmedMan with the Welsh choir, Cor Caedydd, and the BBCNational Orchestra of Wales at St David’s Hall, Cardiff andthis concert was broadcast nationally on Radio 3.

March 2015 saw Excelsis’ debut performance with theLondon Mozart Players for Grayshott Concerts. In Octoberlast year the choir hosted its own concert with the WaverlyEnsemble, performing Handel’s Dixit Dominus, as well aslocal composer Clive Osgood’s contemporary version of thesame text.

In the autumn of 2015 Excelsis accepted the honour ofbecoming ‘Choir in Residence’ to Grayshott Concerts, inrecognition of the many performances that the choir has doneover the years for audiences there.

For more information, contact Barbie McSean, Chairman:barbie@excelsis-choir.co.uk; or Christine Asbridge, Publicity:07748 243635 christine@excelsis-choir.co.uk

Priests seem to have spent years in training and yearsbefore that in schooling. The traditional system ofeducation for priests, not often put into practice in thiscountry, was to encourage suitable boys from 11 upwardsto go to a junior seminary till 18, then to a major seminary(sometimes on the same site), till they were ordained at24. All junior seminaries in Britain are now closed andvery few seminary students start at 18, on leaving school.

For me, my non-Catholic youth was spent at a daygrammar school, largely supported by boys from workingclass families. Most of us were the sons of Vauxhallproduction workers, and I suspect we realised our parentswere making sacrifices for our education. At times this wasas simple as providing us with a desk or table to do ourhomework; although school uniforms were not expensive,we were expected to have one, plus sports and PE kit,which often lasted years. Sometimes we were expected togo on a theatre trip and somebody had to pay. For myself, I was lucky that my parents were able to support me allalong, although I completely dispute the claim that onlychildren are spoilt. Mum and Dad wanted me to have theeducation that the local system could give me, I had towork, and they encouraged me.

I have to be honest; I’m not sorry grammar schools haveended (in some areas). I don’t think our teachers everconsidered that we had emotion; we were in effect brainson legs, some with more brains than others. I left schoolemotionally immature and a bit mixed up, with quite agood brain and little confidence.

University (Oxford) led to a series of breakdowns veryearly on, in my first term and first vacation at Christmas,and in the emotional chaos of my life, and trying to keepmy troubles from my parents, I decided to become aCatholic. The Catholic Church has enabled me to face life,and from my baptism and confirmation in the summer termof 1968 I have always tried to put my Catholic faith beforeeverything. I just cannot see how people can cope withoutbeing Catholic; this doesn’t mean I am anti-Protestant, orlook down on non-churchgoers. Each to their own. But Iknow I cannot and never could have faced adult life exceptas a Catholic.

Blessed John Henry Newman said that it was not otherCatholics that made him and his fellow Oxford convertsCatholics, but Oxford itself, and I suppose the same is truefor me. I believe that the place for Catholic pupils is aCatholic school, and I could not get on with the Catholicsat my school. I found Oxford a very unhappy place and Idoubt it has changed. I went to Cambridge to do aPostgraduate Certificate in Education and was probablymore unhappy there (if that were possible) than at Oxford. I have little interest in universities and thus am glad that theseminary I went through was not linked up with one. Myaim as a seminary student was to pray, to gain somepastoral experience, to receive sacraments and to get

ordained as a Catholic priest. I did not care then, and donot care now, in the least about degrees. I feel the onlydegree worth having is the Oxford MA, granted usually fouryears or more after taking the BA, and effectively grantedon the basis of ‘life experience’ which, I feel, is morevaluable than anything that universities can offer.

I am grateful for the sacrifices my parents made, whichfor me led to the Catholic Church. Towards the end of theirlives I was able to bring them into the Church, though Iwish I could have shared more of my faith with them formore of their lives. Catholics who inherit faith from theirparents have far more to be grateful for than they realise.For me, the Catholic faith is everything; I do not see how Icould live without it. Whilst I wish well to non-Catholicschools, for me the issue is as clear as the light of day:Catholic pupils in Catholic schools. I thank God for OscottCollege, Birmingham, where I spent my seminary years,and where I think I gained more happiness than in anyother place of education.

What I really think of the education I hadFr Keith Sawyer

Brasenose Lane in Oxford

Cor ad cor loquitur

Oremus20 | September 2016September 2016 | 21Oremus

CrosswordFriends

• Write to: Friends’ Office, 42 Francis Street, LondonSW1P 1QW

• Call: 020 7798 9059

• Email: friends@westminstercathedral.org.uk

Registered Charity number 272899How to co

ntact u

s

Our last outing of the summer was atrip to Littlemore in Oxfordshire, theplace where Blessed John HenryCardinal Newman was received intothe Church, and which is now home tothe sisters of the Society of the Workwho keep the spirit of Newman alivein Oxfordshire.

Newman lived at ‘The College’ atLittlemore from 1842 to 1846. It was aplace of prayer, study and quietcontemplation, away from the intensescrutiny of academic Oxford. Sr Catherine, one of the sisters atLittlemore, told us that it was a placehe loved. Three miles from the centreof Oxford, Littlemore was just a hamletin Newman’s time and he would walkout to the village two or three times a week.

Blessed Dominic Barbieri, aPassionist priest and preacher, had beenencouraged to visit Newman atLittlemore. He travelled by horse-drawncoach and, cold and wet from thejourney, was warming himself by thefire when Newman came to him, fell tohis knees and professed his desire tobecome a Catholic: ‘He came, drippingwet from his journey through torrentsof rain. “Remember the guard, sir,”petitioned the streaming guard as thepassenger alighted from the coachoutside the Mitre. “Yes,” said the Father,much edified, “I will remember you inmy Mass.” Newman knelt before him.The Father bade the neophyte rise,conscious “of a great miracle ofgrace”.’

Newman’s confession lasted longinto the night. He slept briefly and hisreception continued the following daywhen, on 9 October 1845, he wasformally received into full communionwith the Roman Catholic Church. HisOratory at Littlemore has again becomea place of prayer and worship and afocus for the cause for Newman’scanonisation. Mass was celebrated hereby Canon Christopher for the Friends.The room is small and a few of us satinstead in Newman’s adjacent cellwhere we watched the Mass on ascreen, participating in the responses. Itwas very moving to be there inNewman’s room. I was struck by howhe must have felt the night of hisconversion; the friends he would makeand the friends he knew he wouldleave behind, including members of hisfamily. We sang Newman’s hymn‘Praise to the Holiest’ and veneratedthe relic which the sisters keep atLittlemore.

When Newman died the NewcastleLeader described him thus: ‘Geniusrises above creed and class; andCatholic and Protestant alike will feelthat the man who passed awayyesterday belonged to the nation.’ Youfeel at Littlemore the presence of asoon-to-be saint and an Englishmanwho helped to shape the history andfaith of his country.

As we journeyed further into theOxfordshire countryside for ourafternoon visit to Rousham House, ofcourse the skies darkened, and by thetime we had finished our tour ofRousham in the company of theredoubtable Mrs Cottrell-Dormer, ladyof the house, it was bucketing down.Even in torrential rain, the gardens areexquisite with vast vistas of rollinggreen countryside interspersed withintimate walled gardens, crammed withhollyhocks, lavender and summer roses.There may have been other visitors toRousham that afternoon, but it seemedas though we had the place toourselves, as we made lightning sortiesinto the gardens and then shelteredbeneath the ornately-clipped hedges.

Christina White

Forthcoming Events18 October: Novelist and historianAlison Weir’s talk to the Friends onQueen Katherine of Aragon: Booksigning and drinks to follow.Westminster Cathedral Hall 7pmTickets £10

Clues Across1 Celebration of Line on the London Underground? (7)6 Vessel used for carrying the Host to the sick (3)8 ----- Lanza, Catholic tenor and Hollywood film star (5)9 Acts or publications that are transgressions against the Sixth

Commandment (7)10 We are currently in ‘The Year of -----‘, at the behest of Pope

Francis (5)11 To lure into a place or act (6)13 Relating to early Irish peoples or a football club (6) 15 The formal Creed in the Mass named after the Council (325)

that established it (6) 17 St. Peter ------, Spanish Saint devoted to the poor, Feast Day

9 Sept. (6)20 ----- Noir, red wine grape particularly associated with

Burgundy (5)21 St Rose of -------, from an Italian town, Feast Day 4 Sept. (7)23 Type of Medal such as a ‘Benemerenti’ (5)24 Members of the faithful who are not in religious Orders (3)25 Cathedral dedicated to Our Lady and St Philip Howard (7)

Clues Down1 Relating to furniture or architecture of the time of King James (8)2 Type of horn or hound (6)3 Evangelist who wrote the Acts of the Apostles (4)4 Days of fasting and penance in September following Holy

Cross Day (5)5 Puritan leader during the time of the Persecution with statue

near Westminster Abbey (8) 6 Fictional Belgian sleuth created by Agatha Christie (6)7 Photograph taken in medical examination evolved from

Röntgen discovery (1-3) 12 Memorial to those killed in war, as in Whitehall (8) 14 The cloth on which the Host and Chalice are laid during

Mass (8)16 A covering such as an ombrellino in processions of the

Blessed Sacrament (6)18 Having an assorted nature (6)19 Spanish town associated with the discalced Carmelite

St Teresa (5)20 St Vincent de ----, Feast Day 27 Sept (4), 22 ‘Blessed art ---- amongst women’, the Hail Mary (4)

Across: 1Jubilee 6Poirot 8Mario 9Obscene 10Mercy 11Entice 13Celtic15Nicene 17Claver 20Pinot 21Viterbo 23Papal 24 Lay 25Arundel

Down:1Jacobean 2Basset 3Luke 4Ember 5Cromwell 6Poirot 7X-Ray 12Cenotaph 14Corporal 16Canopy 18Varied 19Avila 20Paul 22Thou

ANSWERS

July 2016 Alan Frost

Planning ahead, the CathedralChristmas Fair is on Sunday 11December and we are alreadyreceiving donations. If you are having asummer clear-out, please do think ofus. All donations should be delivered toClergy House Reception, clearlylabelled ‘Christmas Fair’. We arelooking for good quality bric-à-brac,books, CDs, new gifts that would besuitable for Christmas, jewellery andhandbags, all manner of things. Sadly,can’t take clothes.

Maureen Beck has been the Queenof lavender bags for the Friends for anumber of years now but this year willbe hanging up her needles and passingthe mantle on to another kindvolunteer. Might it be you? We providethe material, ribbons and, of course,lavender. These are very popular at theFair, so we advise starting early; if youcan help, please phone Christina Whitein the Friends’ Office on 020 77989059.

Our autumn/winter newsletter is inthe final stages of preparation and willbe posted to all Friends later thismonth. If you would like to become aFriend and help Westminster Cathedralplease call the office on the numberabove and we will be happy to sendyou a form.

A Burning Thirst

Between lip and cup,The sweetwaters – your voiceWoke me to a painful thirst.

~Winched up between well and rope,Through casks of dreamsYour name distilled slow –

In the sun-warmed blood,Your balled fists clutch the long sleepOf the floating world;

A name to tar over cracksIn the heart’s broken pail;To balm the new bulging world.

~The clean dawn bridging the Hudson,The sky stretched tight as a hospital sheet: Where, near Fifty-Third, urgent cars halt

For the ancient birth. And the sweetwaters – her criesWoke you to a burning thirst.

Benedict Gilbert

To submit a poem for consideration, please contact theEditor – details on page 3.

Poetry Corner

Poetry Corner correctionRose of Carmel in last month’s edition of Oremus waswritten by Rabi Mariathasan.

| 2322 | Oremus September 2016September 2016

Colin Mawby

Oremus

CAFOD

My 80th birthday celebrations have been marked by twoextraordinary events, both of which have been deeplymoving.

Two years ago I was commissioned by the GermanKatholikentag to compose a 90-minute cantata to mark themovement’s centenary. The last composer theycommissioned was Penderecki, so I was in augustcompany. My cantata is entitled Ecce Homo and its firstperformance took place in Leipzig on 26 May. It describesthe life of Christ and highlights his inspirational teaching. I was invited to attend the concert and went with a closefriend.

Leipzig is a pivotal place in Germany’s musical history.We visited the spacious apartment where Mendelssohnlived for two years prior to his death and also saw theroom in which he died. The apartment is now an excellentand compelling museum. Reading the list of thoseentertained by Mendelssohn was amazing; it includedClara and Robert Schumann, Hans Christian Anderson,Spohr, Goethe, Berlioz, Liszt, Wagner and many otherdistinguished luminaries. This led us into Mendelssohn'sworld: a fascinating experience. I never knew thatMendelssohn was an accomplished painter. Excellentwatercolours hang on the apartment's walls, many ofwhich were completed shortly before he died in 1847.Mendelssohn was a genius who gave much beauty andspiritual joy to the world. May he and his compatriots restin peace.

We visited the Café Baum, where Schumann met andentertained his friends. It has been serving coffee since1711 and is the second oldest coffee house in Europe.Wagner drank there, and one can see the chair thatSchumann used. Café Baum, with its centuries of musicalconnections, is central to the growth of European music. It also serves excellent cakes and pastries!

We saw the Thomaskirche, where Bach was theKapellmeister from 1723 – 1750. He is buried in the naveand it was inspiring to pray at his tomb and see the fontwhere his 12 children were baptised. This connection withBach was of great significance because the premiere of mycantata was given in the Nikolaikirche where Bachconducted the first performance of his St John Passion onGood Friday 1724. I saw this as a great and wonderfulprivilege. It is also the church where on 9 October 1989the Candle Light Revolution reached its climax: it led tothe fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the EastGerman Democratic Republic. I dedicated the cantata tothe hundreds of thousands who demonstrated and also tothe memory of Christian Führer, the courageous Pastor ofthe Nikolaikirche, who facilitated the demonstrations. Weall owe him a huge thank you.

Two Gifts for My 80thConcerts in Leipzig and Dublin

Nikolaikirche seats 2000 people: it was completely fullfor the performance, hundreds were turned away and therewere lengthy queues of people waiting to get in. The choirwas over 150 strong and included a Swedish group – ‘StEugenia Vocal Ensemble Stockholm’ and two excellentchildren’s choirs – ‘Mädchenchor am Kölner Dom’ and the‘Dresdener Kapellknaben.’ The superb conductor was Frank-Steffan Elster and the excellent orchestra was the ‘CamerataLipsiensis.’ Talking with Frank-Steffan was extremelyinteresting. He was a 13-year-old boy on the night of theCandle Light Revolution and his street was full of police,soldiers and military vehicles. He explained that his motherwouldn’t let him go out because ‘it was too dangerous.’ Hespoke with great intensity as if he was re-living therevolution. Listening to him brought it to life, it was nolonger just an historical event.

The cantata made a great impression and received a 10minute standing ovation. The enthusiasm of the audiencewas overpowering. I found it inspirational. When I left thechurch, I was greeted by the ‘Mädchenchor am KölnerDom’, who sang a motet of mine in the open air, to thedelight of hundreds of listeners.

This concert, taking place in mybirthday month, was deeplymoving because of its connectionswith Bach and Christian Führer. Iwas following in the footsteps ofBach: a dwarf following a giant.Leipzig was a pilgrimage and asource of great joy that I will neverforget.

The other event took place inDublin, where I worked for over 20

years. Singers from the fully professional Irish NationalChamber Choir and RTÉ Chamber Choir, both of which Ifounded, arranged a concert in my honour in the church ofSt Ann in Dublin’s Dawson Street. The programme wasmainly my own music but included the first performance ofa fine new work by Conor O’Reilly, one of my singers, thathe wrote as a tribute.

The church was full and included many old and reveredfriends. The sense of love and the warmth of their greetingswas overwhelming. The concert was recorded by Lyric FM,RTÉ’s classical channel, and the choir, supplemented by afine brass group, was superb. My birthday has beenwonderful and these two events memorable. I thank theCreator for my 80 years and pray that I have used wisely thegreat gifts he has given me. Deo Gratias!

Colin Mawby is an acclaimed composer, conductor andorganist and is a former Master of Music at WestminsterCathedral.

Colin Mawby

Bolivia might have been a preliminary sketch for creationin all its beautiful teeming diversity. Even today one inseven of bird species known to the world are found in thesweltering forests or on the arid Altiplano plateau high inthe Andes. This is the most extensive mountain plateau inthe world, apart from Tibet. There are more than 17,000seed-bearing plants, 3,000 of them with useful medicinalproperties, and Bolivia is the place of origin of peppers andchilli peppers, peanuts, the common bean, and 4,000varieties of naturally occurring potatoes. More than 3,000species of butterfly and hundreds of amphibians andreptiles still thrive in the forests. The country is alsoethnically diverse, with 36 indigenous groups making up60% of the population, which is four-fifths Catholic.

But all is not well with this amazing source of life andbeauty. Ten babies die every hour in the country frompreventable causes and the great majority of the peoplehave no access to healthcare. More than half of Bolivianslive below the poverty level; this in a country on whosesilver, tin and other mineral resources was built the SpanishEmpire and, more recently, huge fortunes for individuals.Income inequality, indeed all forms of inequality anddiscrimination, are extreme even by the standards of otherdeveloping countries and all the problems have been mademuch worse by climate change.

Bolivia was among the first nations in the world toexperience its disastrous consequences. Over 30 yearsglobal warming has halved the glaciers providing water forthe Altiplano plateau. An entire large lake dried upcompletely in December. The Bolivian Bishops noted in2012 that the gravest effects of environmental change affectthe poorest; in Bolivia’s case through the inadequacy ofwater supplies for raising crops. In response, the countrypromulgated in 2010 the Law of the Rights of Mother Earthwhich follows, not only in name, the prayers of St Francis ofAssisi and anticipates the 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’ ofPope Francis. The law treats natural resources as ‘blessingssubject to special rights for nature and proclaims the right topure water and clean air.’

The Catholic Church counts CAFOD as an organisationwhich in Pope Francis’ words: ‘work(s) to promote thecommon good and to defend the environment’. It is theofficial aid agency of the Church in England and Wales.

Restoring our Common Home

Harvest Fast Day this year will focus on work in theAltiplano and particularly on Nicanora (above) and hercommunity. They often go hungry to bed and CAFOD isempowering them by providing them with seeds and toolsso that they can feed their families and find a way to abetter life appropriate to the dignity and courage whichshines forth from Nicanora. CAFOD is making it possible forsupporters here to follow progress in the life of the Altiplanocommunity over the next couple of years.

Harvest Fast Day will be on Friday 7 October andCAFOD is appealing to parish priests in the Diocese tomake it known through newsletters, references in homiliesor in the notices at the end of Mass.

In this Year of Mercy and in light of the Pope’sExhortation Evangelii Gaudium, CAFOD is addressing anappeal to Catholics to become volunteers and to buildcommunities here in our parishes which offer vibrantwitness and evangelising zeal through their faith andsolidarity with others. The team of volunteers in theWestminster Cathedral parish have for many years givenfaithful witness to this mission and the joy whichaccompanies it.

‘Around community actions relationships develop or are recovered and a new social fabric emerges.Thus a community can break out of indifference. These actions cultivate a shared identity with astory which can be remembered and handed on. In this way the world and the quality of life of thepoorest are cared for, with a sense of solidarity which is at the same time aware that we live in acommon home which God entrusted to us. These community actions, when they express self-givinglove, can also become intense spiritual experiences.’

Pope Francis in Laudato Si’

CAFOD Harvest Fast Day

Christian Führer

Michael Walsh

| 25OremusSeptember 201624 | Oremus September 2016

Choir Photographic Record

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Less than a month after thefuneral of Cardinal BernardGriffin in August 1956,another major RequiemMass was held in theCathedral, this time forArchbishop Edward Myerswho served threearchbishops as an auxiliarybishop. Because of thecontinuing ill health ofCardinal Bernard Griffin formuch of his time asArchbishop of Westminster,Myers was madeCoadjutor-Archbishop in1951, but without the usualrite of succession.

The picture shows BishopGeorge Craven, as VicarCapitular of the dioceseduring the interregnumbetween archbishops,celebrating the Mass withFr Joseph McVeigh asAssistant Priest (in cope) and Fr Frederick Bishop as Deacon standing immediately behind. Kneeling and wearing thecappa magna is Archbishop Gerald O’Hara, Apostolic Delegate, with Mgr Frederick Row, MC, next to him. The Delegatepresided at the Mass from a throne, a green backed gold chair situated opposite the throne which, keen observers willnote, is devoid of the coat of arms above, as the diocese was without an archbishop. Paul Tobin

Cathedral History A Photographic Record

From 2 – 5 July the Cathedral Choristers undertook a tourto Ravenna in Italy, under the direction of Martin Baker,the Cathedral’s Master of Music. The city, world-renownedfor its ancient mosaics and historic churches, hosts aprestigious annual music festival, and our twoperformances were given as part of the festival programme.Ravenna proved to be a fascinating place to visit, and thechoristers’ singing was warmly received by the Italianaudiences.

The first musical performance of the tour was at SundayMass in the sixth-century Basilica of San Vitale. Builtbetween 526 and 547, the Basilica has an interesting linkwith Westminster Cathedral. When John Francis Bentley hadbeen commissioned to design a new Roman Catholiccathedral in London, he travelled to Italy to study Byzantine-style churches such as St Mark’s, Venice, and he also visited

Ravenna to visit San Vitale. Thearchitecture certainly felt veryfamiliar; the choristers sang from asemi-circular apse behind the altar;the Gradual of the Mass was sungby a soloist from a gallery; and thewhole building is surmounted by amagnificent dome. The Basilica’sresonant acoustic gives a wonderfulbloom to the sound, and theGregorian propers soundedmagnificent within the ancientwalls. As well as the plainchant ofthe day, the choristers also sangworks by Langlais, Parry andFranck.

The afternoon brought some free time and we took theopportunity to see some of the sights of the city, and also totake a closer look at the mosaics of San Vitale. At the time ofthe church’s construction, Ravenna was the meeting-placebetween the eastern and western hemispheres of Romaninfluence. Having been the capital of the Western RomanEmpire for most of the fifth century, it became the capital forthe Ostrogoths before being conquered in 540 by theByzantine Empire. The mosaics in the apse of San Vitalefeature portraits of the Emperor Justinian and the EmpressTheodora, as well as St Maximianus, who consecrated thechurch. It is astonishing to think that whilst hardly anycontemporary information survives regarding the basilica’sconstruction, we can look at accurate portraits of those whobuilt and consecrated it.

Another highlight of the afternoon was the Basilica of StFrancis. Although rebuilt around the 10th-11th centuries,fragments of mosaic from the original church can still beseen in the crypt beneath the high altar. The crypt is nowfilled with water as a result of the subsidence which affectsthe whole city and fish swim over mosaics which featurewriting in both Latin and Greek, a further reminder of

Ravenna’s history. Next to the church is the tomb of DanteAlighieri, who was exiled from Florence and died inRavenna. Sant’ Apollinare Nuovo is a sixth-century churchbuilt in the midst of the Arian heresy. When orthodoxy wasrestored, several of its mosaics were altered to fit in withdoctrine.

Monday brought the main work of the tour: a concert inthe Basilica of Sant’ Apollinare in Classe, just outsideRavenna. The morning was taken up with a full and detailedrehearsal of the evening’s programme. It was something of arelief to perform at 9pm, after the sizzling heat of the dayhad begun to ease off, although it still felt extremely warmunderneath a cassock! Consecrated in the year 549, thisbeautiful church has another set of important mosaics, withthe apse featuring a symbolic representation of theTransfiguration. Whilst the acoustic was drier than SanVitale, the boys’ sound carried well through the basilica,and the nave was full for the concert. The eclecticprogramme spanned five centuries of music, showing thebreadth of the choir’s repertoire, as well as Gregorian chant,dating from around a thousand years ago – which is stillsome five centuries after Sant’ Apollinare was consecrated!The choristers gave an energetic performance of Britten’sMissa Brevis, composed for the Cathedral Choristers andGeorge Malcolm in 1959, and other works included musicby Holst, Schubert and Bach.

The tour proved to be very enjoyable, not just for thebeautiful place, but also for the high quality of music-making that the boys deliver on a daily basis. Whilst the tripwas one of many highlights of a busy year, we can lookforward to another full musical programme over this newacademic year, with some exciting concerts as well asrecordings, and, most importantly of all, the daily singing ofMass and Vespers.

A Highlight of a Busy Year: The Choristers sing in RavennaPeter Stevens

The Funeral Mass of Archbishop Edward Myers (1885 – 1956)Thursday 20 September 1956

Mosaic of Justinianus,age 24, in the BasilicaSan Vitale, Ravenna

Apse mosaic of St Apollinare

| 2726 | Oremus September 2016September 2016

Conversion

Oremus

I was baptised by an Episcopalian cleric and brought up inthe Church of England. When I was 13 I was sent to aboarding school in the precincts of Canterbury Cathedral,where we had the privilege of using the Cathedral as ourschool chapel. For Easter and Christmas I would experiencecathedral worship at St John’s Cathedral in Hong Kong(where my parents were living at the time and where Ispent my school holidays). My experience of cathedralworship both in Canterbury and in Hong Kong gave me astrong sense of church music and liturgy.

At school and subsequently, I was drawn to Anglo-Catholicism, with its liturgical riches and atmosphere; andonce one has imbibed Anglo-Catholicism it is hard not tofind Roman Catholicism attractive.

Several things drew me, gently but cumulatively, to adecision to convert. Firstly, I came to see that there is anintellectual integrity and wholeness to the Catholic faith. Istudied Philosophy and Ethics for A-level and came acrossmany different philosophers, but the most sensible oneswere St Irenaeus, St Augustine of Hippo, St Thomas Aquinasand more recently Elizabeth Anscombe and AlasdairMacIntyre. I noticed that they were all Catholic and thattheir philosophy was informed by their faith. I was alsostudying history for A-level, in particular post-war Germanyunder the leadership of Catholic politician KonradAdenauer. His socio-political ideas seemed coherent to mymind and I was intrigued to find that they were informed byCatholic Social Teaching. At this stage, however, despite myacademic interest in Catholicism I had no personalexperience of Catholic worship. For that I had to wait till Ihad left school.

Reception into Full CommunionMy first experience of Catholic worship was when I

observed Mass being celebrated in Ljubljana's cathedral inMay 2014, whilst I was touring Europe on my gap year. Itwas a Mass celebrated in the vernacular without singing,but dignified and reverent. Despite the fact that I couldn'tunderstand the words, I felt myself attracted to the dignityof the Mass and admired the great reverence that Catholicshave for the Eucharist. The simplicity of this Massjuxtaposed against the baroque splendour of the cathedralbrought to mind how (despite everything) the Church'scentral rite, the Mass, has remained at heart essentially thesame since it was instituted in the Upper Room twothousand years ago.

When I started my university studies in Bangor in theSeptember of that year I joined the university's Catholicsociety and began to make an appearance at Sunday Massat the local Catholic church. Mass was said in English, butin all other respects it was just like the Mass I attended inLjubljana in its solemnity and dignity. In fact, thisuniversality of ritual and worship in a diversity oflanguages across the whole Catholic world was anotherfactor which drew me to the Catholic Church. The Churchseemed to me to be a living embodiment of unity indiversity.

I also became aware of the existence of the PersonalOrdinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham. This was set upby Pope Benedict XVI to allow Anglicans seeking fullcommunion with the Catholic Church to be received intothe church without having to give up their much-cherishedliturgical practices, the practices of their ancestors, thusfurther enriching the cultural diversity of the CatholicChurch. It was also an answer to the prayers of manyAnglicans like myself who regretted the schism at the timeof the Protestant Reformation and long desiredreconciliation with Rome. Whilst this was not corporateunity between the Church of England and the CatholicChurch, Pope Benedict’s gesture was a magnanimous onemuch akin to the setting up of the Eastern CatholicChurches: churches which are in full communion with theCatholic Church yet use the same liturgy as their Orthodoxneighbours and ancestors. The existence of the Ordinariatedid much to confirm in me a growing notion that myvocation as a Christian lay within the Catholic Church.

There was no Ordinariate parish near Bangor, however,so I asked the University's lay chaplain whether I could bereceived into the Catholic Church; and so it was that on 27 April this year Bishop Peter Brignall of Wrexham cameto the University Chaplaincy to receive me into fullcommunion with the Catholic Church and to confer on methe Sacrament of Confirmation and give me HolyCommunion, for which great gifts I thank God.

This October marks the fifth anniversary of the TwoCathedrals’ Blessed Sacrament Procession. Five years islong enough to establish a tradition and the Procession hasnow become part of London life. Mark the date now:Saturday 22 October, starting at 1.30pm at WestminsterCathedral. Be there! Bring the family! Bring friends! Have itannounced in your parish and help make a really goodcrowd for this act of witness.

It began in 2011, to mark the first anniversary of theState Visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Britain. Some of us hadthe desire to recall the memories of that splendid visit andkeep them alive. So we thought of a procession linking thetwo Catholic cathedrals of London, Westminster and St George’s at Southwark, across the river, .

Pope Benedict’s visit was in September, but we thoughtthe Procession should be in October, to link with thehighlight of Pope Benedict’s visit, the Beatification ofBlessed John Henry Newman, whose new feast day is inOctober. Pleasingly, this year the Procession will also markthe feast day of St John Paul, the first Pope ever to visit thiscountry and the close friend and colleague of Benedict XVI.Pope St John Paul visited both Westminster and St George’scathedrals. The latter has a fine stained-glass windowdepicting his visit (worth a look when you get there). It is onthe north side by the Blessed Sacrament Chapel and showshim blessing sick people brought there from across Britainand assembled in the cathedral’s nave with their nurses anddoctors.

The Procession starts at Westminster Cathedral andmoves down Ambrosden Avenue, singing and praying theRosary. By tradition we pray the Luminous Mysteries of theRosary. The Procession is headed by someone bearing agreat yellow and white papal flag (useful as a marker as the

procession is very long, and people some way back needsome reassurance). In the middle of the Procession theBlessed Sacrament is carried and the whole forms a ratherfine sight as we cross Lambeth Bridge, with the Houses ofParliament as a backdrop. Last year the Knights of Our Ladyin their white and blue robes added to the colour.

There are families with children in push-chairs, there arepriests in their cassocks, there are teenagers who take theinitiative and start up some singing when things seem toflag, there are devout ladies with their rosary beads, andstaunch Catenians and Knights of St Columba who directthe whole thing and take us carefully across the roadswithout undue fuss, signalling us when to start and stop andkeeping us organised and together.

At St George’s we have Benediction, almost lifting theroof with our singing and then joining in the Divine Praises.We pray for our country, committing it once again to God’sloving care through the intercession of the Blessed VirginMary. Then we come out into the Autumn afternoon; andfriends chat and exchange news and comparisons withprevious years, children are taken off for pizzas and adultsfor big mugs of tea or, later, perhaps gins and tonics...

The Procession gives thanks for that wonderful 2010Papal State Visit, for the sense of joy and friendship andgoodwill that permeated our country during those four daysin 2010, for the wise and gentle ministry of Pope BenedictXVI. And it also brings prayers and thanksgiving for ourgood Pope Francis and support for his Petrine Ministryamong us. And, this year, on the feast of St John Paul, it willalso beg his intercession for that New Evangelisation towhich he called us and which our country so sorely needs.

Join the Procession on Saturday 22 October!

Edward Kendall

O Sacrament Most HolyO Sacrament Divine… Joanna Bogle

Edward has been helping in the Oremus office over thesummer. We wish him every success as he continues hisuniversity studies, and hope to see him again next year.

Diary and From the Registers/NoticesDiary and From the Registers

Oremus September 2016

Name

28 |

Thursday 1 SeptemberFeria The World Day of Prayer for the Careof Creation

Friday 2 September (Friday abstinence)Feria

Saturday 3 SeptemberST GREGORY THE GREAT, Pope & Doctor12.30pmVocations Mass2.30pm Malta Day Mass

Sunday 4 September (Ps Week 3)23rd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME10.30am Solemn Mass (Men’s voices)

Missa Ut re mi fa sol la PalestrinaOravi ad Dominum Deum meum PalestrinaOrgan: Contrapunctus XI (Art ofFugue) J. S. Bach

3.30pm Solemn Vespers & Benediction(Men’s voices)

Magnificat septimi toni SurianoSalvator mundi (II) TallisOrgan: Contrapunctus I (Art of Fugue)J. S. Bach

Monday 5 SeptemberFeria

Tuesday 6 SeptemberFeria

Wednesday 7 SeptemberFeria

Thursday 8 SeptemberTHE NATIVITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGINMARY

Friday 9 September (Friday abstinence)Feria

Saturday 10 SeptemberBVM on Saturday4.30pm Side Chapel: LMS Mass

Sunday 11 September (Ps Week 4)24th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME10.30am Solemn Mass (Full Choir)

Missa brevis PalestrinaWie lieblich sind deine WohnungenBrahmsOrgan: Evocation II Escaich

3.30pm Solemn Vespers & Benediction(Full Choir)

Magnificat sexti toni BevanO salutaris hostia RossiniOrgan: Choral no. 1 in E major Franck

Monday 12 SeptemberThe Most Holy Name of Mary

Tuesday 13 SeptemberSt John Chrysostom, Bishop & Doctor

Wednesday 14 SeptemberTHE EXALTATION OF THE HOLY CROSS

Thursday 15 SeptemberOur Lady of Sorrows6.30pm Crypt: South London Catenians’Mass: Canon Colin Davies

Friday 16 September (Friday abstinence)Sts Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop,Martyrs

Saturday 17 SeptemberBVM on Saturday2.30pm Altar Servers’ Mass: Cardinal

Sunday 18 September25th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (Ps Week 1)10.30am Solemn Mass (Full Choir)

Missa brevis in F major (K.192) MozartIubilate Deo omnis terra G. GabrieliAve verum corpus MawbyOrgan: Allegro moderato e serioso (Sonata I) Mendelssohn

3.30pm Solemn Vespers & Benediction(Full Choir)

Magnificat quarti toni BevanGaude gaude gaude Maria SheppardOrgan: Vater unser im Himmelreich (BWV 682) J. S. Bach

5.30pm Ethnic Chaplaincies’ Mass:Cardinal

Monday 19 SeptemberFeria

October 2013September 2016

The Month ofSeptemberHoly Father’s Intentions

Universal: Centrality of the HumanPerson – That each may contribute tothe common good and to thebuilding of a society that places thehuman person at the centre.

Evangelisation: That by participatingin the Sacraments and meditating onScripture, Christians may becomemore aware of their mission toevangelise.

Key to the Diary: Saints’ days and holydays written in BOLD CAPITAL LETTERSdenote Solemnities, CAPITAL LETTERSdenote Feasts, and those not in capitalsdenote Memorials, whether optional orotherwise.

Oremus

St Vincent de Paul Feast Day: 27 September

‘Make it a practice to judge persons and things in the mostfavourable light at all times.’

Throughout the YearMondays11.30am: Prayer Group in the HinsleyRoom. 6.00pm: Scripture DiscussionGroup in Clergy House. 6.00pm:Christian Meditation Group in theHinsley Room. 6.30pm: Guild of theBlessed Sacrament in the CathedralTuesdays6.30pm: The Guild of St Anthony in theCathedral. 7.30pm: The CatholicEvidence Guild in Clergy House.Wednesdays12.00pm: First Wednesday Quiet Dayson the first Wednesday of every monthin the Hinsley Room.Thursdays6.30pm: The Legion of Mary in ClergyHouse. 6.45pm: Scripture DiscussionGroup in Clergy House.Fridays5.00pm: Charismatic Prayer Group inthe Cathedral Hall – please check inadvance for confirmation. 6.30pm: TheDiocesan Vocations Group in theHinsley Room on the last of each month.Saturdays10.00am: Centering Prayer Group in theHinsley Room. 2.00pm: Justice andPeace Group in the Hinsley Room onthe last of the month.

What Happens and WhenPublic ServicesThe Cathedral opens shortly before the firstMass of the day; doors close at 7.00pm,Monday to Saturday, with occasionalexceptions. On Sunday evenings the Cathedralcloses after the 7.00pm Mass. On Public and Bank Holidays the Cathedralcloses at 5.30pm in the afternoon.Monday to FridayMasses: 7.00am; 8.00am; 10.30am (Latin,said); 12.30pm; 1.05pm and 5.30pm (Solemn,sung by the Choir) Morning Prayer (LadyChapel): 7.40am. Evening Prayer (LatinVespers* sung by the Lay Clerks in the LadyChapel): 5.00pm (*except Tuesday when it issung in English). Rosary is prayed after the5.30pm Mass.Saturday Masses: 8.00am; 9.00am; 10.30am (SolemnLatin, sung by the Choir); and 12.30pm.Morning Prayer (Lady Chapel): 10.00am.10.30am. First Evening Prayer of Sunday (LadyChapel): 5.30pm. First Mass of Sunday: 6.00pm.Sunday Masses: 8.00am; 9.00am; 10.30am (Solemnsung by the Choir); 12 noon; 5.30pm; and7.00pm. Morning Prayer (Lady Chapel)10.00am. 10.30am. Solemn Vespers andBenediction 3.30pm. Organ Recital (whenscheduled): 4.45pm.Holy Days of ObligationAs Monday-Friday, Vigil Mass (evening of theprevious day) at 5.30pm.Public HolidaysMasses: 10.30am, 12.30pm, 5.00pm. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament This takes place in the Blessed SacramentChapel every Monday to Friday following the1.05pm Mass, until 4.45pm.Confessions are heard at the following times:Saturday: 10.30am-6.30pm. Sunday: 11.00am-1.00pm; and 4.30-7.00pm. Monday-Friday:11.30am-6.00pm. Public Holidays: 11.00am-1.00pm.Funerals Enquiries about arranging a funeral atthe Cathedral or Sacred Heart Church,Horseferry Road, should be made to a priest at Cathedral Clergy House in the first instance.

Westminster CathedralCathedral Clergy House42 Francis Street London SW1P 1QW

Telephone 020 7798 9055Service times 020 7798 9097www.westminstercathedral.org.uk

Cathedral ChaplainsCanon Christopher TuckwellAdministratorFr Martin Plunkett, Sub-Administrator Fr Michael DonaghyFr Andrew Gallagher, PrecentorFr Gerard O’BrienFr Brian O’MahonyFr Michael QuaicoeFr John Scott, Registrar

Sub-Administrator’s InternFrancis Thomas

Also in residenceFranciscan Sisters of Our Lady of Victories

Music DepartmentMartin Baker, Master of MusicPeter Stevens, Assistant Master of Music Alexander Pott, Organ Scholar

Cathedral Commercial ManagerJohn DalyCathedral Facilities ManagerSarah DorganEstates ManagerNeil Fairbairn

Chapel of EaseSacred Heart ChurchHorseferry Road SW1P 2EF

From the RegistersBaptismsMikaela LeonardoGiulia SimpsonRosa Buitrago GonzalezOlivier DediareJustina DuèmePhoebe Masangkay Filipe

MarriagesLouis Stewart and Emilie Hawker

ConfirmationsPierre BridelGaetano CarilloVincent de BlicAntonio FinelliPaleton GonsalvesEnrico HernandezAndrew McCannRenan WiestDavid WilkinsonBen ZuccoliniRobert ZuccoliniSarah AdeyemiBafrin BoskaniLequesha GonsalvesSenhit MeskelMarie-Claire PontonIlaria RizziDeborah SajaFrancesca SidoliLorna Staines

FuneralFr Harry Hamill

Tuesday 20 SeptemberSts Andrew Kim Tae-gon, Priest, PaulChong Ha-sang, and Companions, Martyrs

Wednesday 21 SeptemberST MATTHEW, Apostle & Evangelist7.30pm Grand Organ Festival Concert:Andrew Lumsden

Thursday 22 SeptemberFeria5.30pm Apostleship of the Sea attend Mass

Friday 23 September (Friday abstinence)St Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest2.15pm Cardinal Vaughan SchoolFoundation Day Mass

Saturday 24 SeptemberOur Lady of Walsingham12.30pm Jubilee for Deacons: Cardinal

Sunday 25 September (Ps Week 2)26th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME10.30am Solemn Mass (Full Choir)

Mass for four voices ByrdBuccinate in neomenia tuba CroceAve verum corpus ByrdOrgan: Finale (Sonata in G) Elgar

3.30pm Solemn Vespers & Benediction(Full Choir)

Magnificat septimi toni LassusLaudibus in sanctis ByrdOrgan: Præludium in G Bruhns

Monday 26 SeptemberFeria

Tuesday 27 SeptemberSt Vincent de Paul, Priest

Wednesday 28 SeptemberFeria

Thursday 29 SeptemberSTS MICHAEL, GABRIEL and RAPHAEL,Archangels

Friday 30 September (Friday abstinence)St Jerome, Priest & Doctor1.05pm St Gregory’s School attend Mass

Extraordinary Form: For the liturgicalcalendar of the Extraordinary Form (1962Missal) of the Roman Rite, please visitthe Latin Mass Society website:www.lms.org.uk/

Westminster Cathedral –Social MediaWestminster Cathedral is now on thesocial media sites Facebook andTwitter. To keep up to date with allthe most recent news, photos, eventsand timetable changes, please followus on Twitter (@westminstercath) or‘like’ our page on Facebook(www.facebook.com/westminstercath).

COMING AND GOINGContinuity in the Cathedral isassured by many staff and volunteersstaying in post, but the College ofChaplains bids farewell to Fr JohnAblewhite, who retires to live in thediocese of East Anglia, whilst Fr Andrew Gallagher joins theCollege as Precentor and Fr JohnScott takes over as Registrar.

Review / Advertisements

30 | Oremus September 2016

Book Review

Nil nisi bonum

| 31OremusSeptember 2016

Brendan McLaughlin

Sharon Jennings has long been associated with WestminsterCathedral, in which many of her plays have beenperformed, characterised by their intellectual sharpnessand imaginative treatment of moral and religious dilemmasin historical contexts. This splendid work on the Chapel ofSt Gregory and St Augustine is similarly scholarly andengaging, providing a stimulating account of the saints andheroes of the Anglo-Saxon Church who are depicted in theChapel.

St Bede the Venerable provides the keynote – goodthings of good men. In contrast to the notion of St Augustine(of Hippo) that the saints will wear their sins like jewels inheaven to show the faults they have overcome, Bedeemphasises the good aspects of the saints’ lives in providingmodels to be followed – bonum de bonis.

It is hard to over-praise the clarity of exposition of thehistorical background, the deftly-chosen anecdotes, and thequality of the apposite illustrations, both from the Chapelitself, many of which are by Sharon’s daughter Anastasia,and a wide range of other sources. This includes images ofartefacts and manuscripts.

Sharon’s prose is, characteristically, clear, authoritativeand enticing – one wants to read on. She has the rare gift ofarousing interest, as in her plays.

The account of Bede’s life and works is succinct andinformative. He was the first to use the term gens anglorumand the only Englishman to be named Doctor of the Church(by Pope Leo XIII), and it is from his writings that we havemuch of our knowledge of the early English Church.

The later chapters deal with Augustine, Aethelberht,Oswald, Cuthbert, Edmund and others, with well-documented detail and illustrations. The account of the lifeof the eccentric St Wilfred is particularly fascinating. There isa brief section on the tombs of Richard Challoner, the 18thcentury Divine who was Vicar-Apostolic of the Londondistrict and author of the Britannica Sancta, and thewonderful Cardinal Basil Hume whose episcopal motto wasSpes inter spinas (hope among the thorns). The list ofscholarly sources is impressive and an invitation to furtherreading about the early years of Christians in England.

The book is a mine of information about lesser-knownfigures such as Aethelberht who, according to traditionfollowed by Bede, reigned for 56 years, a feat achieved byonly a few monarchs including, of course, our own Queen.The book discusses Aethelbert’s Code, which was written inAnglo-Saxon, not Latin. This work is thought to be the firstin the vernacular. His wife was St Bertha, reputedly thefoundress of the Church of St Martin in Canterbury. In a

letter of 701AD Pope Gregory likens her role in theconversion of England to that of St Helena in Rome. Thepicture of Aethelbert and Bertha in the Cathedral Chapel isparticularly touching.

Sharon is, of course, interested in books. Apart fromBede himself and the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle there arecomparatively few records of the Anglo-Saxon world. In thechapter on St Justus her enthusiasm is infectious concerningthe few books which have survived, ‘more thrillingly theBodleian holds a 6th century Italian Gospel which showsevidence of having been held in Anglo-Saxon hands.’ It isthought that Justus sought to extend Christianity to the NorthEast, establishing a second metropolitan see in York, as hadbeen the original intention of Pope Gregory.

The notion that between the departure of the Romansand the coming of the Normans there were ‘dark ages’ isrightly called into question by Good Things of Good Men.The book is enlightening historically, aesthetically andtheologically. The various sections end with an appropriateprayer, reminiscent of an Ignatian ‘composition of place’and subsequent devotion, and could provide the frameworkfor illustrated spiritual exercises. From the devotional angle,it is a book of uncommon prayer.

Sharon’s book is on sale at £9.99 from the Oremus office orthe Cathedral gift shop.

New in Cathedral Gift ShopWe are pleased to announce an exquisite addition to therange of gifts available in Westminster Cathedral Gift Shop.

Cross pens are renowned worldwide for their design andquality and we now have for sale a luxury ball-point penwhich comes with the Cathedrallogo and in its own box.

This will make an excellent giftfor a loved one on that specialoccasion.

Retail Price: £35.00

Cooking for a CardinalThe Cardinal’s KitchenPaola Greco £6.99

Edward Kendall

What does one cook for a cardinal?This was the question the authorfaced twice a week for two and ahalf years when Cardinal Murphy-O’Connor required someone to cook for him. Her experience is the inspiration for this book.

Described as ‘a little guide to good eating’, this slim volumeis full of anecdotes, history, and culinary advice. So describingit simply as a recipe book would fail to do it justice. Itcombines dishes enjoyed by past popes and cardinals with theauthor’s own Italian-influenced recipes, handed down fromgeneration to generation.

It is worth reading for its curious trivia and historicalinformation alone. Did you know that Pope Innocent III (1161-1216) enjoyed drinking Verdicchio from golden goblets? Didyou know that King Francis I of France loved soups or thatCardinal Richelieu was the first documented consumer ofchocolate in France, or that Dante died of indigestion (theauthor warns us about the perils of gluttony)?

Cardinal Cormac warmly commends The Cardinal’sKitchen, which is available from the Cathedral Gift Shop, St Paul’s or from pgrecocariglia@hotmail.co.uk

Good Things of Good Men, The Chapel of St Gregory and St Augustine, Westminster Cathedral,by Sharon Jennings.